SAN BERNARDINO >> Murders, attempted murders and carjackings have been on the rise in Highland and San Bernardino since the beginning of March fueled by an ongoing rivalry between two street gangs — the Bloods and the Crips, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

A press conference held Monday at sheriff’s headquarters described tactical operations and arrests made as a result of the uptick in these crimes.

“This effort was absolutely necessary,” McMahon said. “Gang violence and violent crimes don’t have jurisdictional boundaries, so law enforcement must work together to rid the streets of these gang members who are reigning terror in our neighborhoods.”

A task force combining efforts from Specialized Sheriff’s Details, San Bernardino County district attorney and probation offices, San Bernardino police, California Highway Patrol and the FBI, was formed to battle this threat and bring violent offenders to justice.

A total of 33 arrests were made during the investigation. Of those arrested, three are suspected of murder. The district attorney has filed 29 counts of attempted murder, 16 counts of conspiracy or solicitation to commit murder and two counts of accessory to murder, against those arrested.

Numerous guns and drugs were seized during the operation.

One of the men arrested was 20-year-old Cory Thomas, a suspected California Gardens Crip, who is accused in the slaying of Michael Martinez in Highland and Rashaun Green in San Bernardino.

He was out of jail due to AB109, which shifts the responsibility for incarcerating many low-risk inmates from the state to counties to reduce state prison populations, sheriff’s officials said.

“The days of a criminal street gang being neighborhood specific is long gone and that issue underscores the need for all of us in local law enforcement to communicate with one another and to collaborate with one another better and more effectively that we have ever done so in the past,” San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said.

Many of the victims had no gang ties at all and witnesses and victims were reluctant to give detectives any information out of fear of retaliation, officials added.

Doug has covered crime and public safety in the Inland Empire since first becoming a reporter in 2012. With a long standing military background, Doug naturally heads into volatile situations in order to gather intelligence for those who rely on accurate and up-to-date information. Doug, a former combat Army veteran, attended the Defense Information School. At DINFOS, the United States Military school of journalism at Ft. Meade, MD, Doug learned all aspects of journalism before taking on a role as an Army Public Affairs Specialist for 16 months prior to his employment with the Southern California News Group. Doug is an avid outdoorsman who loves camping on the beach, but he's also a giant "Star Wars" fan.

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